This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book

This chapter provides a brief overview of the programs provided by MySQL AB and discusses how to specify options when you run these programs. Most programs have options that are specific to their own operation, but the syntax for specifying options is similar for all of them. Later chapters provide more detailed descriptions of individual programs, including which options they recognize.

3.1 Overview of MySQL Programs

mysql_install_db initializes the data directory and the initial databases

These programs are discussed further in Chapter 4, "Database Administration."

Client programs that access the server:

mysql is a command-line client for executing SQL statements interactively or in batch mode

mysqlcc (MySQL Control Center) is an interactive graphical tool for executing SQL statements and administration

mysqladmin is an administrative client

mysqlcheck performs table maintenance operations

mysqldump and mysqlhotcopy make database backups

mysqlimport imports data files

mysqlshow displays information about databases and tables

These programs are discussed further in Chapter 7, "MySQL Client and Utility Programs."

Utility programs that operate independently of the server:

myisamchk performs table maintenance operations

myisampack produces compressed, read-only tables

mysqlbinlog is a tool for processing binary log files

perror displays error code meanings

myisamchk is discussed further in Chapter 4, "Database Administration." The other programs are discussed in Chapter 7, "MySQL Client and Utility Programs."

Most MySQL distributions include all of these programs, except for those programs that are platform-specific. (For example, the server startup scripts are not used on Windows.) The exception is that RPM distributions are more specialized. There is one RPM for the server, another for the client programs, and so forth. If you appear to be missing one or more programs, see Chapter 2, "Installing MySQL," for information on types of distributions and what they contain. It may be that you need to install something else.